WATERMAN, Ill. — The largest private outdoor gun range in Illinois is continuing to expand, powered by a strong volunteer base and a loyal membership that’s standing its ground as legal battles over Illinois’ gun laws play out in federal court.

The Aurora Sportsmen’s Club, located on 300 acres near rural Waterman, has nearly 3,000 members who fund, maintain, and help build the one-of-a-kind facility, which features everything from archery ranges to DoD ballistically rated live-fire shoot houses for home defense and tactical training.

“Just a one-of-a-kind facility that’s open to civilians,” club president Mike Vandermyde told The Center Square. “We have a live fire shoot house that’s completely DoD ballistically rated. Finding one of those to be able to get home defense, self defense and that type of training in is few and far between.”

The club’s footprint continues to grow thanks largely to its members, many of whom contribute skilled labor as volunteers to keep costs down and improvements rolling forward.

“All volunteers. We got some volunteer ironworkers, we got carpenters, we got electricians, we got all the trades covered and welders, pipefitters,” Vandermyde said. “So we kind of take advantage of that and do it ourselves. And that's how we stretch the dues dollars farther to get it to go.”

The expansion comes amid an uncertain legal climate for gun owners in Illinois. The Protect Illinois Communities Act (PICA), passed in January 2023, bans more than 170 semi-automatic firearms and high-capacity magazines. That ban is still tied up in court, with a district court ruling against it and an appeal now pending before the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, where oral arguments are slated for September 22.

Despite the legislation, Vandermyde said club members remain undeterred.

“They haven’t taken our spirit, they haven’t taken our motivation and we’re just not going to let them,” Vandermyde said. “And we’re going to continue to do what we’re doing out here, training and practicing and enjoying our rights and our sports.”

One of the club’s most popular events, the annual “Zombie Shoot,” returns on Saturday, September 13, and Vandermyde encourages non-members and visitors — even state officials — to come see the sport and culture for themselves.

“And see what the citizens of Illinois partake in in their off time,” Vandermyde said. “This is our sport on one side but it’s also our right and we’re not going to back down from that.”

The event transforms ranges with decoys dressed like ghouls while club members demonstrate various scenarios, blending training and fun in an outdoor setting unlike anything else in the state.

Founded in 1948, the Aurora Sportsmen’s Club has been a staple for Illinois shooting sports enthusiasts for generations. With its growing membership and community spirit, the club’s leadership says it’s ready to keep building — literally and figuratively — no matter what challenges come next.

Originally reported by Greg Bishop in The Center Square.